andrejthechef
BangladeshRiceBreakfast

Panta Bhat with Accompaniments

Cooked rice soaked in water overnight, served with bhorta, onion, green chillies and fried fish.

prep
15 min
cook
10 min
total
25 min
serves
3
level
easy
Panta Bhat with Accompaniments, a dish from Rural food traditions and Pohela Boishakh

Panta bhat started as a practical way to use leftover rice in the heat of rural Bangladesh, soaking it overnight in water so it stayed edible and turned lightly fermented and tangy by morning.

It's since become a symbolic dish, eaten on Pohela Boishakh alongside fried hilsa and bhorta as a nod to that same simple, rural food tradition.

Part of our 20 best Bangladeshi recipes list.

method

  1. Place the leftover cooked rice in a bowl or earthen pot, and pour in enough water to fully submerge it.

  2. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature overnight, or for at least 8 hours, allowing the rice to soften and ferment lightly.

  3. The next morning, drain off excess water if you prefer it less liquid, or leave it soupy, depending on preference.

  4. Fry the small fish in a little oil until crisp and golden, and set aside.

  5. Prepare a simple potato bhorta by mashing the boiled potatoes with mustard oil, chopped onion, green chile and salt.

  6. Serve the panta bhat in a bowl, topped with sliced raw onion and whole green chiles, alongside the fried fish and bhorta on the side.

chef's tips

  • An earthen pot is traditional for the overnight soak, but any covered non-reactive bowl works; the point is letting the rice sit in water long enough to soften and turn faintly tangy.
  • Panta bhat is traditionally eaten on Pohela Boishakh, Bengali New Year, alongside hilsa and bhorta, as a reminder of simpler rural meals.